


No Hard Feelings?

by Lazy Cat Corner (Gummyyummy156)



Series: Valki [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, F/M, Sexual Themes, Slow Build, Valki - Freeform, bonnie and clyde vibes, more fluff than sex though, sexy espionage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-15 00:44:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13019685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gummyyummy156/pseuds/Lazy%20Cat%20Corner
Summary: On Sakaar, you make deals to keep your head above the water. Valkyrie has to make a deal that ends up being more work than she's bargained for.She could never trust Loki, but what choice does she have?None, at least when The Grandmaster has any say in it.





	1. Give and Take, Take and Give

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Sakaar, you make deals to survive. Valkyrie winds up in a deal she never bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted a sort of Bonnie and Clyde feel with this story. This takes place before Thor ends up on Sakaar but just after Loki gets there. This story is vastly different from “The Impossible Alliance”. There’s more swearing, mentions to sex, fake matrimony, and heavy drinking. Just a fair warning if that’s not your cup of tea.  
> 

Chapter 1: Give and Take, Take and Give

Yet again, Valkyrie is getting ripped off, but what else is new on Sakaar? She stomps her feet walking through The Grandmaster’s extravagant palace. Without saying a word, people in the hallways clear for her. She wanted to use her earnings to treat herself to a rare bottle of mead. Unfortunately, that plan will have to delay for who knows how long. The Grandmaster likes to stretch his time with his favorite scrapper.

 _Scrapper 142_ , as he likes to refer to her. They’re all numbers to him, but some numbers are his favorite. Even so, it’s been awhile since Valkyrie’s been called by her real name, Brunnhilde. It’s not uncommon for people to lose their names, or even forget them on Sakaar. Occasionally, Valkyrie hopes it will happen to her someday. Maybe she will one day be twenty bottles of bourbon in and wake up with a new identity.  One could hope.  

“There’s my favorite scrapper!” The Grandmaster opens his arms in welcome as Valkyrie flings open the throne room doors. Everyone skirts around the edge of the room, giving Valkyrie at least one-hundred feet of space.

Valkyrie marches towards his throne and places her hands on her hips, “You’re short.”

“I think not, I’m six foot four!” He laughs,

Valkyrie holds her glare and waits for him to finish.

He frowns and continues, “Okay, yeah. I gave you less than-

“You gave me half!” She shouts. Everyone in the throne room tenses up. Only Valkyrie would have the nerve to stand up to The Grandmaster without flinching. One of the reasons why he adores her so much.

“I did,” he admits, “but for good reason. See, you only gave _me_ half.”

Valkyrie lifts her eyebrow and he explains, “That silver goblet you gave me was very pretty, don’t get me wrong, but it’s missing it’s matching twin.”

“There was only one when I found it.” She responds.  

“And I’m sure there was, but it’s pointless if I don’t have the other one. Get me the other one, and I’ll pay you what I owe.” He bargains.

Valkyrie frowns. “That’s not the deal we made”

“It’s the deal I’m making now.” He emphasizes. “Take it or leave it.”

Valkyrie grits her teeth and wishes she could burn this tyrant on the spot. Without even speaking, The Grandmaster can tell what she’s thinking and gives her a gentle reminder who keeps her liquor cabinet full.

Valkyrie groans. “I want you to double what you owe.”

The Grandmaster smirks. “That’s my girl.” He stands up and straightens his robe. “And to show you how compassionate I am, I’m sending you someone to help.” He nods to himself and smiles. Almost congratulating himself for coming up with a brilliant idea on the spot.

“I don’t need help.”

“Well, I was actually hoping you could show him around Sakaar, but I wouldn’t disregard him right away. From what he’s shown me, he’s pretty useful.”

The Grandmaster claps his hands and orders the servants to escort their new guest over. A tall man with ostentatious looking clothes enters. “Swagger” would be the best way to describe how this new person walked in. Nobody ends up on Sakaar with confidence, let alone enthusiasm to show up to The Grandmaster’s palace. He walks past Valkyrie without even glancing at her and approaches The Grandmaster.

If Valkyrie had balls to yell at The Grandmaster, this man had balls to kiss his hand. She’s never seen The Grandmaster warm up to a newcomer so quickly. The Grandmaster is blushing furiously and caresses the hand he’s kissed.

“142, I want you to meet Loki.” He motions his hands towards the smug charmer. “Loki just came here from,” The Grandmaster clears his throat, “our entrance.”

Valkyrie smiles to herself at the thought that The Grandmaster isn’t quite ready to explain to Loki what _The Devil’s Anus_ is, just yet.

“Loki, you’re going to follow Scrapper 142 around and help her get something I want. Have it by tomorrow, and I’ll hold up my end of the deal.”

Without asking for input, he dismisses the two and continues with his usual round-the-clock party.

Valkyrie storms out of the palace, without any concern if her new companion can keep up. Surprisingly, he’s keeping good pace and not complaining. They approach her transporter and she holds her key in her hand.  

“Here’s what you’re going to do.” She whips her head towards loki and points her key at him. “I’m going to get the goblet, and you just wait in the transporter. There’s something I want with this reward money, and I will not mess this up.”

Loki holds his gaze at Valkyrie and remains silent.

Valkyrie raises her voice. “Are we clear?”         

Loki slowly nods his head. “Whatever helps.”

“Good.” She opens the door to her ship and starts it. Loki follows behind and sits in the passenger’s side.

Valkyrie takes off and begins explaining without waiting for Loki to ask. “I found the first goblet at an abandoned palace. I know someone who could help me figure out what happened to the rest of the loot. It will be a long ride, though. It’s in another part outside of The Palace. We should be back before tomorrow.”   

Loki leans back and relaxes in his seat without any indication he was listening. Valkyrie tenses her grip on the steering wheel. She’s a scrapper, not an entertainer and if Valkyrie hardly tolerates The Grandmaster, there’s no way she will get along with someone who can charm him.

It’s clear that Loki isn’t eager to join her either. He hasn’t changed his gaze at the front window of the ship. After an hour, Valkyrie decides to break the uncomfortable silence.  

“Where are you from?” Valkyrie quickly eyes Loki up and down, trying to guess. Aside from the complexion, clothing choice and dark hair, it’s his face that seems the most recognizable. An almost tired look. The face of someone who has never completely felt at home. Valkyrie feels a chill run down her spine at that thought. He reminds her too much of someone. Someone she once feared. Whether Valkyrie should be afraid of Loki, remains to be seen.

Valkyrie can tell she isn’t going to get a response and clears her throat, “Nobody on Sakaar is _from_ here. We end up here and that’s it.” She laughs. “I feel sorry for those who are born here. From what I’ve seen, they’re the most unfortunate.” She shrugs. “So, that leads us back to, ‘Where are you from?’”

Loki remains silent, considering if telling anyone on Sakaar if who he is would be dangerous.

He chooses his words carefully. “A place of wealth. I was far from unfortunate.” His response is flat and automatic.

Valkyrie snorts, “I couldn’t tell.” She mentally notes his pompous attitude and overdressed appearance. “You’re not going to give me a name? I might have been there.”

“I doubt it, most have never heard of where I’m from.” He lies.

His curiosity gets the best of him, “Where are _you_ from? I doubt Sakaar trains skilled hunters, like yourself.” He leans his head on the palm of his hand, offering one of his charming smiles.  

Valkyrie has seen that look far more times than she likes to admit. She shudders at all the times both sleazy men and women tried to win her over and _hopefully_ gain her favor. She never takes it personal. Everyone wants something on Sakaar. Anyway, she wouldn’t technically consider Loki to be like those other people, but she knows when someone wants something from her. She responds without any hint she’s caught on. “Someplace I want to forget.”

“Was it that bad?” He frowns.

Valkyrie shakes her head. “No, it was that good.” She pauses to take a deep breath. “My family, was taken away from me. Every last one of them. I cant-I won’t go back. They wouldn’t be there, and it wouldn’t be like home anymore.” She surprises herself at how much she chooses to disclose. Perhaps Loki doesn’t have ordinary charm.  

“And that would be, where?” Loki presses.

“Somewhere you’ve never heard of.” She smirks.

“Fair enough.” He responds.

Loki deduces that Valkyrie might be of value to him. He’s seen the way The Grandmaster talked to her and winning her favor might bring him closer. Playing nice and learning about her is probably the best bet right now.

It has already occurred to Loki that he could easily rummage through this girl’s memories and find out her whole life story in an instant. The idea of figuring it out on his own, on the other hand, seems far more entertaining to him. It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s gave away their life story to Loki. He has a knack for persuading others without trying.

“Well, Sakaar isn’t a place of wealth, by any means. But some manage to weasel their way in The Grandmaster’s heart.” Valkyrie eyes Loki. “That’s the closest to wealth you can get, here.”

She couldn’t tell what Loki was thinking, but she noticed his finger slightly twitch after what she said.

Loki shrugs. “It doesn’t surprise me. I grew up in a palace. Most of it was full of people trying to weasel their way in.” Loki eyes Valkyrie up and down. “You don’t seem like the type to weasel.” He reasons.

Valkyrie laughs, “I’m not. The Grandmaster likes what I bring to him, that’s all.”

Loki presses his lips and gives a look of disbelief.

“Well, he always gravitates to the scrappers he finds most attractive. It’s happened now and again where he hopes he can treat me to enough presents that will win me over.”   

“And no luck?”

Valkyrie shrugs. “I wouldn’t say that. But it’s never spoken of again the next day, so I don’t mind.” Loki looks amused and Valkyrie explains, “It’s what’s done here and it’s all just business. You take and you give, but mostly, you take.”

* * *

The transporter lands in a marketplace. Valkyrie steps out and Loki follows behind. She turns around and points back to the ship. “I said for you to wait in there.”

Loki’s eyes slit as a grin spreads across his face. “I said, ‘fair enough,’ I never agreed.”

Valkyrie groans. “I don’t have time for this-

“Then don’t.” He finishes. “Look, I’m not sitting in the ship like a pet, just carry on and I will follow.”

“Stay close.” She orders. “I’m not going to chase after you. If you disappear, I’m leaving with or without you.” Valkyrie closes the transporter and walks in the market. Loki struts behind with a triumphant look. A little bit of spite is what he needs to get through this trip.

“There’s a vendor here, Klein, who can tell me where I can find the rest of the loot.” Valkyrie explains. “He’s a real worm, but I can get him to talk.”

They approach a building and Valkyrie slips in the alley. She knocks on the back door and it opens without anyone asking who it is. The vendor is either stupid or not many know about the back entrance. They slip in to a small room and someone enters through a curtain.

This must be Klein. Loki could tell by his appearance that he really is a worm.

“What brings you here? I don’t have any liquor today, or nothing that would interest you.” 

Valkyrie shakes her head. “That’s not why I’m here, Klein. Remember that abandoned palace a few days ago?”

Klein whistles. “How could I forget it. It’s how I could afford a new stereo.” He motions behind the curtain.

“I need to know what happened to the rest of the loot.”

Interested, Klein begins rubbing his hands. “And, what’s so important about the rest of the loot?”

“I need something.” She responds flatly. “Grandmaster cut my pay short until I get it back.”  

“Well, I might know what happened, but you know nothing is free here.”

Valkyrie knew it would lead to this. She already had an idea how it would end. She pulls out a blaster and fires at a glass vase.

A security guard comes storming through and charges at Valkyrie. She clips the oversized barbarian in the jaw and knocks him to the ground unconscious. Without giving anyone time to react, she walks through the curtain and aims the blaster at the brand-new stereo.

 “I give you plenty, Klein. Now, you’re going to give me what I want.” She threatens.

Klein stares at Valkyrie, mouth agape. After a moment of silence, he grins and starts laughing. “I can never get away with it with you.” He motions back behind the curtain. “Alright, you got me in a corner here. I’ll tell.”

Loki is surprised with how quickly the mood changed. Sakaar is a fast-paced type of place. People here don’t have time to hold grudges or hang on to feuds.

They return to the backroom and Klein settles himself down on a chair. “Someone by the name of Kreios took the rest and exchanged it for units. Last I heard, everything is being auctioned off at the gallery today.” Klein shrugs. “Rich people love wasting their money on other people’s possessions. Even if they don’t like what they bought. Oh, and you’re going to have to find a way in. It’s one of those invite only places.” Klein barks out a laugh. “As if anyone poor could even afford anything at the auction.”   

Valkyrie thanks Klein and walks out.

“Come back again.” He waves goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 1! I didn't mean for the story to be so long, but it is! So...oh well. These chapters are going to be longer. But if this is a story you like, I can't imagine how that would be a problem for you. HAHA! 
> 
> Note: The story is written, but I will post the chapters as I edit it. Want to make sure everything is good before I post and I'm still tweaking the ending.


	2. Dressed to Steal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have a dress, but do they have a plan?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a new challenge for me and you will see why.

Chapter 2: Dressed to Steal

Valkyrie and Loki return to the transporter and Valkyrie settles back in her chair.

“Do you have a plan?” Loki asks.

“I have a dress.” She smiles and glances over to Loki. “You should be fine with what you’re wearing. Nobody will recognize you, anyway. I might know someone there who could get us in.”

“Nobody will recognize you in a dress?” Loki asks in disbelief.

Valkyrie pauses for a moment. “Well, nobody will be looking for a scrapper in a dress.”

Loki scoffs at her messy logic. Valkyrie ignores his response and continues with what she was doing. She searches through her transporter computer for information about the gallery. She checks the time and notes that it will start in about an hour. If they get there early, there shouldn’t be too many people to witness anything.  

The transporter is parked far enough away from the gallery where no one would be suspicious. Valkyrie reaches in a storage compartment and rummages through it. She pulls out a long and wrinkled black dress.

Loki winces at how unkempt it looks.

“You’re going to wear that?” He asks.

Valkyrie responds, “It’s what I have. All my good dresses are back in my apartment.”

She flings it on the headrest of her chair and rummages for the matching shoes. Loki carefully picks the dress up and examines it. It’s a simple black gown with minimal detailing.

“Nobody is going to believe you belong there with this dress.”

Valkyrie dampens a cloth and gently cleans the makeup off her face.

“There won’t be a lot of people there to judge me. I’m not going there to impress anyone,” she defends.

Loki almost snorts when he notices the eyeliner melting around her eyelids.

Valkyrie can tell Loki is amused with her half-assed job and glares. “I’m not finished, I know what I’m doing.”

“You’ve done this before?” He leans back in his chair and smirks.   

Valkyrie mumbles, “I don’t carry around a dress for fun.”

 _Interesting._ Loki mentally notes.  

“At least let me make the dress look presentable,” he offers.

Valkyrie shrugs her shoulders as she unties her ponytail and restyles her hair in an up-do. If it keeps him busy.

“Sure, just don’t mess around with it too much.” 

Loki carefully runs his hands through the dress, letting the magic straighten and mend some loose stitching. He decides to add some extra shimmer to the dress and change the shading on some parts of the fabric. He adds a gradient effect that turns navy blue at the hem of the dress. Loki holds the dress back to admire his work.

He glances at Valkyrie who’s finishing up with her hair. She turns to him as she pins back the low knot styled at the base of her head. Eyeing the dress up and down, Loki can see a look of desire in her eyes to try it on.

“You have a talent for clothes,” she compliments.

Loki smiles in satisfaction.

She takes the dress and quickly removes her armor. Slipping the dress on she looks down to admire it. The top of the dress wraps around her snug and fans out at the bottom. Valkyrie looks up and notices Loki has changed his clothes into something more formal. A black suit with a navy-blue tie.

He answers her unspoken question, “I should try to match.”  

Valkyrie can’t understand why a matching outfit would matter, but she reasons that it’s just something wealthy people care about. Living in a palace and around elite high-powers all the time would make someone worry if they’re out of style.

 Valkyrie removes her weapons belt from her armor and fastens it underneath her dress.  

“Are we going to need that?” He points to the belt.

She removes some of the bulky weapons and keeps the ones that will easily conceal under her skirt.

“You never know and I never go unprepared.”

Valkyrie re-applies her makeup to a more soft and clean-faced look. Glancing in the mirror, she gives herself a nod of approval.

The sky is turning dark and Valkyrie can see the gallery become more crowded. They step out of the transporter and begin the long walk across the pavement.

Valkyrie stops in her tracks. “Oh shit.”

Loki turns around and frowns. “What?”

She balls her fists. “I know someone who works at the door. He would have gotten me in. It looks like they’ve replaced him with someone else.” She scans around the building and notes an open window. “We can try to climb the window."

Loki glances at the substitute doorman and stops Valkyrie in her path.

“Wait here, I think I can get us in.”

Loki approaches the doorman and starts talking to him for a few minutes. They both exchange a loud laugh and he motions Valkyrie to come over. Valkyrie notices his attitude has changed dramatically. He has a warm look on his face and looks friendly to the doorman.

Valkyrie cautiously approaches the new man and gives a look of confusion. Loki pulls Valkyrie closer to him and gently wraps his arm around her waist. She fights the instinct to push him off, and hopes that it’s part of his plan and nothing more. She slowly falls closer into his hold and gives a fake smile to the doorman.

“My wife can’t say no to historical art. So, when she heard about the auction she practically dragged me to sneak in with her.” Loki leans forward and mutters, “She was willing to climb through a window.”  

The doorman barks out a laugh.

“Never challenge a woman on a mission,” he finishes.

Valkyrie is silently screaming in her head and takes even breaths to fight any chance at revealing her sudden discomfort. Valhalla didn’t prepare her for this.

“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. You are planning to participate, after all.”

Loki gives a nod of approval. “Absolutely, nobody will even notice.”

They exchange their goodbyes and Loki leads Valkyrie in the gallery. When they’ve reached far enough away from the door, Valkyrie smacks Loki’s hand off her. She picks up her pace and begins examining the auctioned items on display.

“You’re welcome,” Loki follows behind.

Valkyrie waves her hand and shakes her head. "You went overboard on purpose.” 

Loki puts his hand on his chest and gives a fake look of innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I fixed your dress and got you in. Don’t I get a thank you?”

Valkyrie can feel the arrogance radiating off him. She would love nothing more than to pick a fight, but drawing unwanted attention is the last thing they need.  

She scoffs and turns her attention back to the display.

“I don’t see it here,” she frowns.

“It might be displayed later. As a finale to the auction.” Loki glances around and searches for a clue where the goblet would be hidden. “It gets all the elite wet when they see something that hasn’t been offered and they practically throw their money at the stage.” He laughs.

“So, do we have to wait?” Valkyrie asks.

Loki shakes his head. “It should be here somewhere.” He picks up two glasses of champagne and offers one to her. “Until then, we keep our eyes open and figure out where it might be stored.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never written intimacy before, so this was fun for me to try. I was trying to be specific describing the actions, but also make it sound sexy. Not as easy as it looks, let me tell ya.  
> Another challenge I had, was trying to keep them in character. I wanted Valkyrie's reaction to Loki's plan to be accurate and I was careful that the whole scene plays off as realistic as possible without my Valki brain getting the worst of me. HAHA!  
> Be sure to stay tuned. Chapter 3 will be here soon.


	3. Eyes on the Prize

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valkyrie isn't good at standing still and she can only take fake laughter for so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this chapter ready, but I wanted it to sound more like Valkyrie. If that makes sense. So I took some time to tweak it.

 Chapter 3: Eyes on The Prize

They spend the next couple of hours mingling with the rest of the guests. Unfortunately, sticking with the same story at the door. For whatever reason, everyone found it funny. Or perhaps, they just wanted Loki to like them. His charm disturbs Valkyrie and she begins to wonder what else he has used it for. She doubts anything good or honorable.

Putting up this fake façade with Loki makes Valkyrie feel restless. She’s attentive with every move he makes. She knows where on her lower back he rests his hand and the way his index finger absentmindedly pounds on her vertebrae in beat to the music playing. How he leans into her and whispers in her ear or presses his lips against her temple. She would rather be wrestling a swamp beast for a small exchange of units than pretend she’s a part of this stuffy, out of touch world.

Valkyrie doesn’t sit and wait when it comes to tasks. She runs in, armed up and charges head first. Playing house is not a tactic she would consider useful on her strategy guide. The more time she spends in the crowd, the more time she feels she is wasting. Unlike Valkyrie, Loki is elated knowing how much of a miserable time she is having. Which is why he is really playing up the part of “doting husband”.

After finally having enough, she excuses herself from the captivated crowd holding onto every word Loki says. She begins exploring the rest of the gallery and searches for another doorway.

Several laps around the gallery later, she notices a servant slip out from behind a curtain and curiously follows. It’s a long hallway and she can smell food, she hears clanking and loud talking coming from her left. Obviously, the kitchen. She steers away from that direction and keeps her weight balanced on her toes to prevent any clacking from her heels. She finds three doors and opens the first two. One is storage and the second is an empty office. Valkyrie places her hand on the third doorknob and gently turns.

“Did you find anything?”

Valkyrie nearly screams and jumps back. Loki holds back a laugh and sneers.

“Aren’t they missing you? How did you slip away?”

Loki sucks in a deep breath and explains. “I’m still there.”

Valkyrie tilts her head and Loki continues, “I can use my magic to slip out of my body and sneak around.”

Valkyrie’s jaw drops. “Why didn’t you do that sooner?” She stops herself from raising her voice.

“Well for one, I’m not corporeal. I wouldn’t be able to snatch the goblet, and two,” He pulls up a Champaign glass and takes a sip, “I’m enjoying myself.”

Valkyrie really wishes she could break his incorporeal jaw right now. When she returns to him, she will be sure to give him hell.

“Well then, make yourself useful and slip behind that door to see if the goblet’s there.” She orders.

Loki chuckles and disappears behind the door. After a few seconds, he comes back out.

“It’s there.”

Valkyrie turns the knob and finds it stuck.

“Of course, it’s locked.” She sighs.

“I might be able to open it, but I’ll need my body.”

Valkyrie hikes up the skirt of her dress and pulls out a small box.

She shakes her head. “No need.”

After several minutes of fiddling with the doorknob, she unlocks it and creeps in. Sure enough, the goblet is resting on a desk, waiting for her to take it. Valkyrie picks it up and studies it.

“We will have to move fast, if we’re going to take it. Someone will notice and go looking for us immediately.”

Loki examines the goblet in Valkyrie’s hand. “Not necessarily. I think I can come up with something to please them.”

Loki scans the room and points at a decorative ornament on the desk.

“Bring that to me and I can make a decoy. I’ll walk back in and switch the goblets. We can walk out the front door and you can complain that you’re feeling sick.”

Valkyrie considers the plan. There’s a chance it could go wrong, but very slim. Almost hearing her concern, Loki explains. “No one will notice the difference. These people don’t even care what that goblet is made of, nor would they verify.” 

 Valkyrie nods and swipes the decorative piece. She carefully slides out of the door and slips back in the crowd of admirers. She sees Loki still in the center of the crowd. He turns his attention to Valkyrie, waves his hand and quickly weaves through the crowd. He pulls her in for an embrace. While holding Valkyrie, he slips his hand between their bodies and tucks the ornament in his jacket. With his other hand, he rubs her back and kisses the top of her head.

“Are you feeling any better, dear?”

Valkyrie grits her teeth. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Must be something I ate.”

“We can leave early if you want. It doesn’t look like they’re offering anything today that fits your collection.”

Valkyrie steps away from Loki and nods her head. “Perhaps we should get home.”

Loki tells her to wait by the door and makes his goodbyes to the crowd. Several people took a second to invite Loki to stop by their estates or attend events they’re hosting throughout the year.

Valkyrie waits by the door and leans against the wall. The fact that Loki can win over a sea of strangers, indicates that he must have been in a position of power before Sakaar. Why he would rather stay here instead of finding a way out, is a mystery. It would take something really tragic to force someone out of their home. Valkyrie knows from experience.  

Someone catches Valkyrie’s attention. She spots a familiar face sitting at the bar and staring directly at Valkyrie. Her heart sinks when she realizes it’s Kreios. Probably attempting to steal back what he sold. A panic rushes through Valkyrie and she straightens her posture; ready to fight or flight.

Loki appears in her line of site and he frowns at the anxiety etched on her face. She grabs his hand and drags him out the front door. “Don’t look behind you.” She whispers.

“Why?”

“Kreios!”

“The same one who had the goblet?”

“Yes, and he knows that I’m here.”

They pick up their pace and rush towards the transporter. Valkyrie begins to shake as she turns on the engine. The door barely shuts when it takes off. When they reach far enough, Valkyrie picks up the pace and speeds off.

“He’s going to follow us.” She answers Loki’s unspoken question, “Two scrappers in the same room _always_ means trouble.  It doesn’t matter what it is. Everyone knows it as a sign of territory invasion.” She nods to Loki. “You have the goblet, right?”

Loki materializes the goblet in his hand and shows it to her. He opens Valkyrie’s storage compartment and places it inside.

“Good.” She nods. “If we keep up the pace we can mak-

Something crashes into the side of Valkyrie’s ship and the transporter makes impact on the ground.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene was fun to write. I wanted Loki and Val to get closer, but I wanted it to be within reason. Naturally, Valkyrie would not be a happy camper, but I also think there's a part of her hiding what she is really thinking.


	4. All for Nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valkyrie is feeling a sense of defeat. What hurts more, is knowing there was nothing she could have done to avoid it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost done! Valkyrie's limits are really being tested in this chapter. How will she face it?

Chapter 4: All for Nothing

Valkyrie wakes up and searches around for Loki. He’s unconscious on the floor of the transporter. Valkyrie quickly searches the storage compartment and shouts.

“Shit!”

Loki jolts awake and screams.

“What?” His arms flail around him, ready to fight.

“That son of a bitch took the goblet, and everything I own.” She scans the transporter and slams her fist on the wall. “Including my armor!” She screams.

Loki winces as the noise pierces his aching head. He rubs the sides of his temples.

“Why would he do that?”

Valkyrie growls in a rage and can feel the blood rushing. “It’s a power move. I would probably do the same just to piss him off. It’s a lot more effective than telling them to fuck off”

Valkyrie spots a hole in the window Kreios made to break in the transporter and steps out. She takes a step back and clenches her jaw. “Now my transporter is ruined. There’s no way I can fix it.”

Valkyrie can see her reflection from her transporter. The bare face, neat hairstyle and dress makes it hard to recognize herself. She doesn’t feel like she belongs in it. She’s exposed, and it muffles the sense of control she has when she’s wearing her typical armor. She begins to question if this simple mistake would have been avoided if she did everything her way. Valkyrie can sense her own lie, but what else could she have done?  

She shuts her eyes, feeling the moment of defeat reach her. Everything they did was for nothing. Now, they will have to crawl back to The Grandmaster’s palace empty handed.

Valkyrie can feel Loki slowly approach her and clear his throat. She opens her eyes and sees a bundle of clothes in his hand with some leather boots. He holds it out for her.

“We may not have the ship…Or the goblet or weapons.”

“Would you just get on with it!” She barks.

“We still have time.” He mutters. “You can use these, for now.”

On Sakaar, nobody hands things for free. Valkyrie can’t help but feel she will owe him something. The dress, and now the clothes. It’s not a form of generosity she has seen in ages. Everything she has done or owns is from her own two hands. Working alone is easier that way and takes away the worry of crossing lines.   

Loki can tell Valkyrie isn’t trusting his offer, “It would be easier to move around in these clothes,” he explains.

Valkyrie slowly walks towards Loki and cautiously accepts the clothes. Something inside her urges that she will feel better once she steps out of the dress. She obeys and changes into the new clothes. It’s a comfortable tunic with the softest bottoms she’s ever worn. The kind of clothes that would take weeks of scrapping for Valkyrie to afford. She moves her weapons belt out from underneath her clothes and cinches it around her waist. As beautiful as that gown was, this outfit feels more comfortable to her.

“He can’t be far.” Loki suggests.

Valkyrie shakes her head. “No, he’s not.”

She can feel herself coming back. She calmly removes the pins out of her hair and reties it back into her usual messy ponytail. She approaches her destroyed transporter and studies her reflection. Without missing a beat, she reaches in her belt and pulls out her tube of white makeup. She swiftly etches the chain details back on her cheeks and inspects her work. A smile returns to her when she can see the same warrior she’s meant to be. Not some _passive trophy wife._

Valkyrie sharply turns around and faces Loki, ready to switch gears.

“I know exactly where that idiot goes. He’s going to celebrate at the nearest bar and I’ll be there to snatch everything back.”

Loki materializes back into his normal clothes and asks, “Will we make it?”

Valkyrie searches the sky and finds a ship approaching them. She grins. “We will soon.”

* * *

 

Valkyrie’s aim is something worth noting. She managed to use her blaster to alert the driver and ask for a ride back to the nearest bar. The driver could see the disheveled look of defeat on her and took pity. Loki feels a sense of pride. Perhaps his charm is rubbing off on her. She managed to persuade the driver to go to four bars until she spots what she’s looking for.

They thank the driver as they step out. Valkyrie searches the lot of parked ships and snorts. She points to the biggest ship.

“There’s his ship. The biggest one in the lot. Says a lot about his self-esteem.” She laughs. They walk in the bar and scan the place for Kreios. He’s hunched over the bar, sipping his mug of ale. 

Loki and Valkyrie slip in a booth far enough away from Kreios to remain undetected. A waitress approaches their table and asks for their order. Valkyrie immediately orders a glass of ale. She could use a bottle of her favorite bourbon, but considering everything in her ship is gone, this will have to do. She also hopes it can wash down the citrus taste of that bubbly Champaign earlier.   

Valkyrie uses this time studying Kreios. His drink is still full. She deducts she has some time to figure out what she’s going to do next.

The waitress sets down the drink and Valkyrie sniffs it. Her nose wrinkles at the sharp smell. It’s cheap, but it will help her think.

A few sips in, Valkyrie stares at her frothy mug and frowns.

“I’m not used to help,” she says.

Loki snaps out of his daze and watches as Valkyrie avoids eye contact.

“Really, you could have fooled me.” Loki gives a sly smile.

Valkyrie presses her lips, fighting back the urge to laugh along.

“I would have went back home if you didn’t give me that moment of clarity. I don’t like thinking about what could have, that’s not what is done where I come from, but…”

“But?” Loki Presses.

Valkyrie closes her eyes and exhales. “But, I don’t think I would have made it to the gallery without you. My pride got in the way of me and blinded me from what had to be done.” She confesses. “So, what I’m trying to say, is thank you.”  

Valkyrie waits for a response, a boast, or even a snicker, but Loki remains silent. She slowly lifts her eyes up. Loki has an unreadable expression. It doesn’t seem like he is used to the word “thank you” as often as he makes it sound.

Valkyrie turns her attention back to Kreios and tries to change the subject. “You don’t think he has the goblet in his pocket?” She laughs.  

Loki turns his head to Valkyrie’s line of vision and studies the thief. “He hasn’t seen me, right?”

Valkyrie purses her lips. “I’m pretty sure he hasn’t. Why?”

Loki stands up and approaches Kreios. He stands next to the thief and leans over the bar while ordering a drink. While waiting for the bartender to finish, he loses his footing and bumps against him. Loki puts his hands on Kreios's shoulders and starts apologizing profusely. Kreios looks dazed for a moment and immediately snaps out of it. He pushes Loki off him and shoos him away. Loki picks up his drink from the bar and slips back in the booth.

“It’s in his transporter ship.” Loki leans forward. “We would need his key to open it.”

“How did you-

“I know.” He answers.

Valkyrie realizes she’s not going to get any answers from him. Focusing on what’s important at the moment, she swirls her ale, and watches the foamy bubbles spin. After a moment of consideration, she quickly finishes her drink. Loki’s eyes widen at her hidden talent. He’s never even seen Thor finish his drinks that fast.

“Get ready to jump out of the way.” Valkyrie lifts up her glass mug and tests the weight.

“Why?” Loki slides out of the booth and stands up cautiously.

“Things are going to get violent.” She throws the mug at a nearby patron’s head. Before it makes contact, Loki and Valkyrie are across the room. It’s as if Valkyrie turned on a light switch and everyone automatically knows how to respond. The atmosphere in the bar becomes chaotic in an instant. Bodies start bumping and crashing against one another. Loki weaves through, reaching for the exit. He waits out the door for Valkyrie for almost five minutes. He considers if he should go looking for her, but figures she had a plan and he could be interfering. She comes darting out of the bar with something in her hand.

“I got it, go!” She screams. Loki follows her lead and they approach the transporter ship. She presses a button on the key and the ship automatically starts itself.

“We’re _stealing_ it?”

Valkyrie rolls her eyes, “Oh, now you’re concerned?” She opens up the door and motions for him to follow. “We need a way back, right? Consider this his repayment for stealing my stuff.”   

Loki frowns at another missing piece to her puzzle. Kreios already gave them hell for just stealing something he sold. Loki assumed this girl would be less reckless after almost losing everything she owned. He climbs in and watches her move knobs and switches. “I just figured you were the type to earn your possessions,” he answers.

“You’re the one to talk.”

“Technically, we were retrieving the matching set,” he defends.

The transporter takes off and heads back towards the palace.

Loki notices this transporter is not only nicer, but bigger than Valkyrie’s ship. Though, he would never admit that unless he has a death wish. Loki steps out of the chair and decides to rummage through the storage compartment.

“I found the goblet and the rest of the stuff.” He waves it up.

“Good.” Valkyrie nods.

“And a shit ton of booze. It’s good liquor, too. Why would anyone even bother to stop in a bar for a drink with this many cases?”

Valkyrie shrugs. “He was probably transporting an order or something.”

Loki sits back down and relaxes in the chair.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These last two chapters faced a bit of change because I felt like Valkyrie wasn't challenged enough. I also wanted more complexity to the story. Hope you're ready for the final chapter. Things are really going to come together in Chapter 5.


	5. Rough Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trip back to the palace isn’t going to be as quick as expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the final chapter. I hope you all like it. I had a lot of fun writing this fic and I thank you for reading it. (I also threw in a little surprise as a thank you)

Chapter 5: Rough Night

After an hour of driving, everything starts fading in and out of Valkyrie’s vision. It’s getting late, and Valkyrie is growing tired. Without asking, she pulls the transporter over to an Inn and parks it. Loki opens his eyes and faces her.

“What are you doing?”

Valkyrie steps out. “I can’t drive, I’m too tired. We can stay here for a few hours and pick back up. It’s not too far from the palace.”

Loki opens his mouth, ready to offer to drive but is immediately interrupted.

“You don’t know Sakaar, I won’t be alert to give you directions, and I’m not wasting my fuel if you get us lost.”

Valkyrie steps inside the Inn and comes out with a room key. “You can sleep in the transporter if you prefer, but I’m not leaving.” She holds up the transporter key. 

Valkyrie reaches in the transporter and pulls out a case of the luxurious liquor. “Might as well take a sip while we’re here.”

Loki snorts, “A sip?”

Valkyrie glares at him. “I’m not coming back to get more if I find out I like it.”

She turns back to the inn and Loki follows her lead. Loki winces at the sight of the place. It’s not somewhere he would ever consider sleeping at, but the captain’s chair in the transporter seems less comfortable.

They enter the small room and settle themselves in.

Valkyrie plops herself on the bed and opens up the case of liquor. She takes a taste and sighs in bliss. It was a refreshing taste from the poor man’s ale she chugged.

“Are you going to drink that all?” Loki asks in disbelief.

Valkyrie shrugs her shoulders. “I’m going to enjoy it.” She holds out the bottle and offers Loki a taste. “There’s more in the ship, anyway.”

Loki moves to her bed and takes a sip, he closes his eyes and nods his head. It’s clear how someone could easily polish this bottle in one sitting. Valkyrie reaches over to the nightstand and pulls out a glass. She pours him a drink and finishes her bottle.

After opening up her second bottle, Valkyrie sinks lower into the bed and hums a tune of content.

“Aren’t you supposed to sleep?” Loki takes another sip from his glass.

Keeping her eyes closed she responds. “This is how I fall asleep.”

“By drinking?”

“By enjoying myself.” She smiles.

Valkyrie can feel the liquor reaching her head. All her stress, everything that happened today doesn’t matter anymore.

After several minutes of silence, Loki reaches over and takes the bottle from her hand. Valkyrie tightens her grip and pulls it back.

Loki laughs. “Easy, I’m just refilling”

Valkyrie opens one eye and glances at his empty glass. She wonders how much alcohol he can handle. Considering he survived his first glass, pretty well.   

“It’s good liquor,” he answers.

She reluctantly hands it over to him and watches the glass fill nearly to the brim. As soon as he finishes, she takes the bottle back and cages it on top of her chest.

“You’re very possessive of your liquor.”

Valkyrie shrugs. “It’s what keeps me happy.”

“Happy from Sakaar?”

“Happy from my real life.” She frowns. Loki gives Valkyrie a look of pity and she rolls her eyes. “It’s not as sad as it seems. Nobody here is happy. We all have our coping mechanisms.”

She waves her half-drunk bottle in the air. “This is mine.”  

"I guess I'm not the one to judge when it comes to bad coping mechanisms." Valkyrie can feel the bed shift a little.

"Guess not," she says.

The silence in the room is a strange feeling. It’s not abnormal for Valkyrie and Loki to sit in silence for a long period of time, but the change of scenery makes her feel more vulnerable. She tries to think of something to say to break the silence, but the only thing going through her brain is the feeling of peace the liquor is bringing her.    

Valkyrie can feel Loki sink deeper in the bed. Did he move in closer to her? Perhaps it’s the liquor, but she can’t explain why it doesn’t bother her.  

Music from the room next door begins playing, and Valkyrie rests her head against the headboard, listening to the thump of the bass and feeling the liquor fill her bloodstream.

* * *

The morning light stings into Valkyrie’s eyes. She rubs her head, trying to recall the last thing that happened. Yet again, she enjoyed her drink more than she should have. She can feel a warm body pressed against her. She looks over to find Loki, naked and passed out on the bed. The memory comes flooding in as she remembers the both of them cleaning off most of the booze, sharing way too much information (and laughs) and drunkenly pressing their mouths over each other. She would be lying if she said it was awful. Without even telling him, Loki knew all her favorite spots and kissed her in the right places to make the right noises. His words were soft, but gave the push she needed.

From what she could remember, Valkyrie found his favorite spots, too. He wasn’t as vocal as her, but the steel-grip he had on her hips was enough confirmation. It was rough, messy and far from romance. But, to put it bluntly, it was a good fuck.

She quietly scolds herself for letting the worst of liquor, bring out the _most_ of her. She can’t bear the idea of sitting in the transporter with Loki for another hour. She reasons that Loki can easily find his way back from here. She quickly searches for her clothes and throws on what she can. Now’s her time to make a break for it.

Valkyrie faces Loki for a second and offers a silent apology. She swiftly pads out of the room barefoot and jumps back in the transporter. The ship takes off before she could sit in the chair. She has what she needs, and now she can go back to her usual life.

The scene of last night keeps replaying in her head. One memory stands out above all of it. The last thing she remembers Loki saying, was when she rolled herself off of him and back on the bed. She can feel sleep dragging her in. Before everything around her faded, she recalled Loki turn to her and with the gentlest tone, he whispered, “You’re welcome.” _Odd?_ She never remembered saying anything.

Even now, alert on the ship, it doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t think he was being arrogant. His voice was too tender to sound like he wanted to annoy her. However, confronting him about that is the last thing she wants to do. Hopefully, they will ignore each other at the palace and never talk about it.

* * *

Valkyrie walks back in the throne room with a skip to her step. She can almost taste that mead calling her name. That’s what she needs right now, some good old comfort drinks.

She stops dead in her tracks when she finds Loki standing by The Grandmaster’s side and directing his attention towards her. It baffles Valkyrie that Loki managed to make it back before she did. How did he beat her?

The Grandmaster stops mid-sentence and motions towards Valkyrie. “And here she is right now.”

“I got what you wanted.” Valkyrie holds up the matching silver goblet.

A servant walks over to collect the goblet.

The Grandmaster clicks his tongue. “But did you do what I asked?”  He counters. “Loki, just told me you left him at a run-down inn.”

Valkyrie stands her ground. Babysitting was never in the job description and it wouldn’t be what stands in her way of her mead.

The Grandmaster begins studying Valkyrie. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

Valkyrie shifts her eyes to Loki. His face is stoic. _What did Loki tell him?_

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She responds.

The Grandmaster barks a laugh. Valkyrie has never seen him like this before. “You stole a ship from Kreios.”

“Since when have you cared for collecting transporters?”

“I don’t, but it concerns me when that transporter has a stash of treasures and things that might interest me. What were you going to keep all that for?”

The Grandmaster claps his hands and servants come out with crates of jewelry and gold.

“I had them confiscated from your ship.”

Valkyrie’s jaw drops. Loki didn’t mention that part. She didn’t even see anything other than the goblet and booze. How did he hide the rest?

The Grandmaster begins riffling through the crates of jewelry. “You can keep the liquor, I have plenty of those. I’m surprised that you would try to trick me like that and put my new guest in so much danger.”

“I didn’t leave him far, he could find his way back.”

“He found his way back fine, thankfully, but I would expect you would keep up your end of the deal.” Valkyrie can feel her heart sink. Whenever The Grandmaster uses those words, nothing good follows, “And since you’ve treated our guest so poorly, I’m only giving you a quarter what I owe and sending you off to the outskirts for a few days.”

Valkyrie’s eyes widen and she protests. “You said you-

“Or would you rather go back to picking garbage with the other low lives.” The Grandmaster’s voice grew darker. “Your choice. If you can find me something good, I’ll let you back sooner.”

It’s always bargains with The Grandmaster. That’s the only way you survive in this hellhole of a realm. Valkyrie silently stalks her way back out the door to her new transporter and gives one final glance to Loki. His expression is flat. She can’t tell if he’s mocking her or scowling at her.

All this time, Valkyrie feared that Loki was only trying to get on her good side to get to The Grandmaster. Her fears were right, and it makes her want to bash her head against a wall. It’s her fault that she got too comfortable with him and didn’t see that his generous offers were only in his benefit. Something inside her grows colder and she promises to never remove her armor again.   

Valkyrie is embarrassed, but not defeated. Loki doesn’t know Sakaar like she does, and he _certainly_ doesn’t know her. At the right time, at the right spot, Valkyrie will knock him back in his place and remind him he’s just a guest. Unlike him, Valkyrie isn’t a guest and will easily take back her pride.

She hopes she will find something soon and The Grandmaster will forget about this; like he usually does. Plus, she’s not sure how long she can ration out the liquor bottles stored in the transporter and her back’s going to be aching sleeping in the driver’s seat.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. It warms my heart to know there are readers who care about what I write. Even if its one reader or one-hundred or even one million (hah, not likely), you all matter and I thank you. Anyhow, here’s the story explaining how I wrote “No Hard Feelings?”.  
> I was actually inspired to write this story while listening to Taylor Swift’s new song "Getaway Car” (don’t laugh). I liked the story the lyrics told and I could imagine something like that happening to Loki and Valkyrie. Which is why I ended the story with both of them stabbing each other in the back. Hence the title “no hard feelings”. What happens on Sakaar, stays on Sakaar.  
> They hardly know each other, let alone trust each other. I just couldn’t imagine this story having a romantic ending. Anything remotely romantic would turn into a mess because neither of them knows how to handle this type of intimacy. It kind of hurt to end it this way, but Loki wouldn’t wake up, abandoned at an inn and walk home quietly. I believe, overall, romance is a possibility in the future for these two (maybe after infinity war), but it’s going to be awhile.


End file.
